Chaeles j



C. J. R. BALLARDQ Gar Coupling.

Patented June 15,1880.

INVENTQ Mag ORNEY'S.

N. PEI'ERS. PHOT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. R. BALLARD, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,855, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed November 6, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. R. BAL- LARD, of Watertown, in the county of J efl'erson and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a draw-head with the coupler in position Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the coupler. Fig. 4 is a plan showing the spring of the coupler in position. Fig. 5 is a plan showing the oblong bore in one of the links.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This device belongs to the class of devices known as self-acting car-couplers.

The invention consists, essentially, of a pair of double hooks or links crossed and pivoted together at their centers, with a coiled spring between them, so that they will open and admit a coupling-pin and then close upon it and hold it firmly in theirjaws.

In the drawings, A A represent the double links or books, each of which consists of a diamond-shaped plate of metal elongated at opposite ends, which ends are fashioned into stout hooks having short barbs a a and shallow interior bends or curves 1) b. Each link or plate A A is bored through the center for the reception of the screw-pivot c, and on the inner face of each link, around the bore, an annular socket, f, is sunken for the reception of the coiled spring B, the ends of which are held in the slots 9 that offset from the said sockets f.

The link A has a round bore, and the link A an oblong one, as shown in Fig. 5, to allow the link A to adjust itself or move slightly backward and forward. The outer surfaces of these links A A are irregular in shape, those parts being thickest and broadest where the most weight and strength are required.

It will be seen that when the links AA are pivoted together their inner surfaces are not in contact near their ends h, being kept apart for slight adjusting motion partly by the configuration of these surfaces and partly by the thickness of the spring B. It will be seen, too, that when the coupler is in position, as shown in Fig. 2, the ends h hpresent a V- shaped opening and the combined curves 1) 1) form an oblong slot, is.

When a coupling -pin, 0, passing down through the holes in the draw-head D and through the slot 70 of the coupler, holds the said coupler. in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the coupler is ready for coupling with another car, and as the next car is pushed against it the coupler enters the opposite drawhead, whose coupling-pin, being in position,

strikes the V-shaped opening of the end of the coupler, forces the links A A apart, and enters the slot k, and the links A A are then closed together by the action of the spring B, and the opposite coupling-pin is firmly held.

The cars are uncoupled by withdrawing one of the coupling-pins.

This coupler can be applied to the majority of cars now in use with but slight. alteration of the shape of the draw-head of the car.

The draw-head D is provided with outwardsloping lips m to facilitate the entrance of the coupler, and with side openings, n, to permit the ends h h of the coupler to go by the coupling-pin.

The coupling-pin may be either round or flat.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent In a car-coupling, the centrally-bored links A A on pivot c, crossed, made diamond-shaped, having diagonally -opposite hooks on their ends, with short barbs a and shallow bends b, and provided with the coiled spring in annular socket, the bore of the link A being round, while that of link A is oblong, as shown and described.

CHARLES JOHN RUSSELL BALLARD.

Witnesses THOMAS HARDEN, J. M. TULL. 

